Peugeot Bipper TepeeI’m often asked what my favourite car is, or which one I’ve really enjoyed testing in the last month, and suchlike. Obviously one remembers the multi-litred sports cars, with Harrier performance and Jumbo price tags, but to the listener’s evident surprise I will usually reply that the latest budget motor – with criteria more attuned to the practical side of life than the hedonistic – has been the most interesting vehicle of the last few weeks.Such a one was the Bipper Tepee. It’s got to be practical, since the basis is the Bipper van, and with insertion of windows you’ve got a usable everyday vehicle with plenty of storage, powered by a small diesel engine to minimise visits to the pumps. The Tepee is effectively a mini MPV, and the driving position goes along with that description, being high even with the seat set at its lowest. It’s based on a van, so you’re not going to buy the Bipper for its looks but for its practicality and economy. So does it really make sense?In short, very much so. Gone is the option of a petrol engine, which for those wanting ultimate economy was never going to do the job. What you now get is called the 75PS 1.3HDi diesel (it’s actually 1.2) with Stop & Start, which emits 113g/km CO2 and boasts 65.6mpg on the combined cycle. Those figures – not brought low by any possibility of auto transmission – are slightly bettered by the EGC version of the engine which can be had with either of the two spec levels – S and Outdoor – for an £800 premium. In terms of the spec there’s not too much difference between them. Amongst other goodies, both have front and side airbags, ESP, remote locking, electric mirrors/front windows and reach adjustable steering. The Outdoorin addition has air con, fog lights and roof bars.On the road our Bipper Tepee is by current standards a leisurely performer, but it gets there, and puts one in a relaxed frame of mind while doing so. The ride is fairly firm, so you’re constantly aware of the potholes, now at long last beginning to be dealt with by the local authorities. Whatever the pluses and minuses of that, the seats are comfortable and equipped with lumbar adjustment on the driver’s side. In town, the Bipper really comes into its own, with that large rear window and vertical rear end making parking a dream. It does have big pillars between the windows, but that factor’s mitigated by the mammoth door mirrors. On the motorway the Bipper’s wee diesel is noticeable, and there’s some tyre noise as well, but voices don’t have to be raised to any great degree.Access to the rear is supremely easy through one of the big sliding doors; these are also a great benefit in crowded car parks, where a normal door would be awkward and inclined to attack whatever the adjacent bodywork is. Room in the back seat is about what you’d expect, so if the journey’s a long one long-legged adults will be asking the occupant of the seat in front to go forward a tad. As is obvious from the look of the thing, there’s copious head room wherever you sit.The Tepee interior does betray its van origins to a large extent, so the design is functional rather than elegant. It does all work however, and owners will be only too glad of the functionality when it comes to packing for the family holiday, or buying a new washing machine. In normal use the boot measures 102cm wide by 68 long by 57 under the parcel shelf; the official capacity is 356 litres. That figure is progressively increased by folding the rear seat backs, then tipping them forward, and finally removing them altogether, which results in a massive 2.5 cubic metre capacity. At 51cm, the sill over which you’ll have to lift your aunty’s wardrobe is helpfully lower than that of just about anything on the road. The Bipper Tepee will be remembered in our household not only for its practicality, which we appreciated more and more as time went on, but also for the lady who would speak to us every time we turned the ignition on. One can put up with that of course, but despite endless attempts we never actually managed to make out the word or two that she said. Yes, absolutely nobody at all could make sense of it, and I’m reasonably sure it was in English.Size:3.86m x 2.02m inc mirrorsEngine:Diesel:1248cc – 75PSGearbox:5-speed FWDBest consumption:EGC Diesel – 67.2mpgPrice at Sept ’11:from £12,495Full details of the Bipper Tepee are available on the manufacturer’s website: www.peugeot.co.ukPeter Cracknell – Sept 2011
Peugeot Bipper Tepee
I’m often asked what my favourite car is, or which one
I’ve really enjoyed testing in the last month, and
suchlike. Obviously one remembers the multi-litred
sports cars, with Harrier performance and Jumbo
price tags, but to the listener’s evident surprise I will
usually reply that the latest budget motor – with
criteria more attuned to the practical side of life than
the hedonistic – has been the most interesting vehicle
of the last few weeks.
Such a one was the Bipper Tepee. It’s got to be
practical, since the basis
is the Bipper van, and
with insertion of windows
you’ve got a usable
everyday vehicle with
plenty of storage,
powered by a small
diesel engine to
minimise visits to the
pumps. The Tepee is
effectively a mini MPV,
and the driving position
goes along with that
description, being high
even with the seat set at
its lowest. It’s based on
a van, so you’re not
going to buy the Bipper
for its looks but for its
practicality and
economy. So does it
really make sense?
In short, very much so. Gone is the option of a petrol
engine, which for those wanting ultimate economy
was never going to do the job. What you now get is
called the 75PS 1.3HDi diesel (it’s actually 1.2) with
Stop & Start, which emits 113g/km CO2 and boasts
65.6mpg on the combined cycle. Those figures – not
brought low by any possibility of auto transmission –
are slightly bettered by the EGC version of the engine
which can be had with either of the two spec levels –
S and Outdoor – for an £800 premium. In terms of the
spec there’s not too much difference between them.
Amongst other goodies, both have front and side
airbags, ESP, remote locking, electric mirrors/front
windows and reach adjustable steering. The Outdoor
in addition has air con, fog lights and roof bars.
On the road our Bipper Tepee is by current standards
a leisurely performer, but it gets there, and puts one in
a relaxed frame of mind while doing so. The ride is
fairly firm, so you’re constantly aware of the potholes,
now at long last beginning to be dealt with by the local
authorities. Whatever the pluses and minuses of that,
the seats are comfortable and equipped with lumbar
adjustment on the driver’s side. In town, the Bipper
really comes into its own, with that large rear window
and vertical rear end making parking a dream. It does
have big pillars between the windows, but that factor’s
mitigated by the mammoth door mirrors. On the
motorway the Bipper’s wee diesel is noticeable, and
there’s some tyre noise as well, but voices don’t have
to be raised to any great degree.
Access to the rear is supremely easy through one of
the big sliding doors; these are also a great benefit in
crowded car parks, where a normal door would be
awkward and inclined to attack whatever the adjacent
bodywork is. Room in the back seat is about what
you’d expect, so if the journey’s a long one long-legged
adults will be asking the occupant of the seat in front to
go forward a tad. As is obvious from the look of the
thing, there’s copious head room wherever you sit.
The Tepee interior does betray its van origins to a large
extent, so the design is functional rather than elegant.
It does all work however, and owners will be only too
glad of the functionality when it comes to packing for
the family holiday, or buying a new washing machine.
In normal use the boot
measures 102cm wide by
68 long by 57 under the
parcel shelf; the official
capacity is 356 litres.
That figure is
progressively increased
by folding the rear seat
backs, then tipping them
forward, and finally
removing them
altogether, which results
in a massive 2.5 cubic
metre capacity. At 51cm,
the sill over which you’ll
have to lift your aunty’s
wardrobe is helpfully
lower than that of just
about anything on the
road.
The Bipper Tepee will be remembered in our
household not only for its practicality, which we
appreciated more and more as time went on, but also
for the lady who would speak to us every time we
turned the ignition on. One can put up with that of
course, but despite endless attempts we never actually
managed to make out the word or two that she said.
Yes, absolutely nobody at all could make sense of it,
and I’m reasonably sure it was in English.
Size:
3.86m x 2.02m inc mirrors
Engine:
Diesel:
1248cc – 75PS
Gearbox:
5-speed FWD
Best consumption:
EGC Diesel – 67.2mpg
Price at Sept ’11:
from £12,495
Full details of the Bipper Tepee are available on the
manufacturer’s website: www.peugeot.co.uk
Peter Cracknell – Sept 2011
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